Get The Biotechnology Education Company Edvo-kit 956 Bioremediation Using Oil-eating Bacteria See Page

When we talk about microbes that are able to clean up oil, we're talking primarily about bacteria and fungi. Bacteria can break down oil to carbon dioxide and water. However, no single organism can break down all the components of crude oil or refined fuels spilled into the environment.

OEMs need air, water, and nutrients (oil) to work successfully for bioremediation. OEMs need an environment with a temperature of -2 to 60°C, and a pH of 5.5-10.

There are species of marine bacteria in several families, including Marinobacter, Oceanospiralles, Pseudomonas, and Alkanivorax, that can eat compounds from petroleum as part of their diet.

How do bacteria clean up oil? Bacteria, however, may be a better solution for cleaning up oil. Scientists have discovered a rod-shaped bacteria that need oil for energy. These bacteria populate the area where the oil spill occurs.

Meet Alcanivorax borkumensis, or A. borkumensis for short. This rod-shaped microbe lives in all of the world's oceans with a special preference for oil-polluted areas, as it uses hydrocarbon molecules for food.

A species of bacteria, Ideonella sakaiensis, feeds on a common type of polyester and may help revolutionize recycling by metabolizing large chunks of plastic waste. Other types of bacteria, meanwhile, could help us clean up oil spills by chowing down large quantities of oil.

Some of those mechanical methods are sorbents, skimmers and booms. They all help to pool the oil and stop it from making an even bigger mess. Chemicals include stuff like dispersants. They break oil up in some crazy chemical reaction and that gets rid of it.

Bioremediation, which was used extensively in the Exxon Valdez spill, involved adding fertilizers containing nitrogen (N) nutrients to speed up the rates of oil biodegradation. Most petroleum hydrocarbons are highly insoluble in water. Hydrocarbon biodegradation takes place at the hydrocarbon water interface.

How do bacteria clean up oil? Bacteria, however, may be a better solution for cleaning up oil. Scientists have discovered a rod-shaped bacteria that need oil for energy. These bacteria populate the area where the oil spill occurs.